Material dryer



June 21, 1966 DENISON ET AL 3,256,615

MATERIAL DRYER Filed Sept. 12, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG I 6| INVENTORJ HENRY H. DENISON 8:

GLENN W. JENKINS ATTORNEY June 21, 1966 H. H. DENISON ET AL 3,256,615

MATERIAL DRYER Filed Sept. 12, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 HENRY H. DENISON 8x GLENN W. JENKINS ATTORNEY June 21, 1966 DENISQN ET AL 3,256,615

MATERIAL DRYER Filed Sept. 12, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 6

m IN VEN TORS 1n HENRY H.DENISON 8 GLENN W. JENKINS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,256,615 MATEREAL DRYER Henry H. Denison, Moline, and Glenn W. Jenkins, liast Moline, llL, assignors to Deere & Company, Mollne, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 223,060 10 Claims. (Cl. 34--68) This invention relates to .a material-drying device. More particularly this inventionrelates to a materialdrying device utilizing infrared drying elements.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a rotary type dryer featuring an annular upright chamber with a rotating table moving the material around the chamber. Material is fed centrally to the chamber and a raking device is provided to move the material radially outwardly as the table rotates.

It is a further object of the present invention to utilize in the above dry-ing chamber an infrared type drying system positioned above the rotating table. The rak in-g device, as above described, will not only shift the material each rotation of the table, but will also turn the material so that different sides will be exposed to the infrared rays as the material shifts from the inner to the outer portion of the drying chamber.

It is still a further object of the present invention to utilize baffies in the drying chamber and to provide a force draft blower which will move air past the infrared system so as to pick up the latent heat created in forming the infrared rays and to pass through the material to continue drying through convection drying. Consequently the present dryer may be considered as having both an infrared drying system and a convection type drying system.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the nature of the invention is better understood from the following description and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1.is a front view of the dryer with portions broken away to show internal mechanism of the dryer.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantial- -ly along the line 44 of 'FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the hopper feeding device for the dryer and portions of the surrounding dryer.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the internal mechanism in the dryer.

The frame for the dryer is composed of a centrally located upright column 10 rein-forced by outwardly projecting gusset plates l l welded to the column and to a horizontal-1y disposed plate 12 at the base of thecolumn 10. Extending radially from the underside of the plate 12 are four angle iron structural members 13. The outer ends of the angle ironrnembers 113 are fixed to upright angle iron structural members .14 having their upper ends connected to radially inwardly extending angle iron elements 15, the inner ends of which are connected to the upper portion of the gusset plates 11. The gusset plates. 11, angle iron members 13, 14, 115 form upright rectangularly shaped supporting structure, with each of the supporting structures being disposed at 90 relative to other of the supporting structures. Each of the upper horizontally disposed angle iron structural members 15 support longitudinally spaced rollers 16 pro- Ice jecting upwardly from the upper face of the respective members 15.

Fixed to and extending outwardly from the upright structure members 14, are metal pads I17 flanged at their outer ends and connected to upright structural members 18. The 'tmernbers 18 are spaced substantially apart around the frame. The upper ends of the members 16 are connected by horizontally disposed structural members 19 and 20 which interconnect diametrically opposite members r18 and generally rigidity the entire framework.

Supported on the frame is an annular shaped drying chamber composed of an upper portion having an upper inner cylindrical side wall 25 and an upper outer cylindrical wall 26, and a lower portion having an inner circular wail 27 and an outer cylindrical wall 28. The upper and lower portions are closed at their upper and lower ends resepctively by means of horizontally disposed walls 29, 30 respectively. The lower portion of the drying chamber is connected to the upright supports 14 by means of plates 311 fixed to the underside of the lower panel 30 and welded to'the respective supports r14. The upper portion of the drying chamber is supported on the outer upright supports 18 by L-shaped pads 32 having one flange fixed to the upright supports :18 and the opposite flange fixed to the outer surface of the wall 26. Suitable connecting mean-s, not shown, is also provided for fixing the upper wall 29 to the underside of the frame mernbers 81:9, 20. Generally, although shown as being slightly offset, the inner'wall '25 of the upper portions is substantially directly above the inner wall 27 of the lower portion and the outer wall 26 is substantially directly above the outer wall 28 of the lower portion. Fixed to the internal surfaces of the overhead wall 29 and the upper outer wall 26 is insulating material 33.

The upper and lower portions of the drying chambers is separated by a perforated rotating floor or table 35 ex.- tending between the inner and outer walls 25, 26. The inner edge of the floor panel 35 extends slightly radially inwardly of the wall '25 and is there supported on a horizontally disposed circular plate 36 having a centrally located bearing hub 37 journaled at 38 on the upper end 39 of the central shaft or column 10. A pair of radially spaced apart annular tracks 40, 41 is welded to the underside of the intermediate floor panel 35 and rides on the rollers 16. It should be understood the intermediate panel 35 is not fixed in any manner to either the upper or lower portions of the drying chamber and consequently is free to move around the annular drying chamber. The iloor 35. is perforated so as to permit air to pass. The iloor 35 may be louvered, 01' may be a screen :or any other type of perforated structure capable of permitting air to move between the upper and lower chambers.

Depending from the underside of the outer peripheral edge of the floor 35 is an annular U-shaped ring. 42 with the bight or the vertical flange of the ring being spaced inwardly from-the edge of the floor '35. The ring 42 is welded to the undersurfiace of the floor 35. Fixed to each of the upright supports 14 is an upwardly projecting bracket 43 carrying a guide wheel 44 engaging the underside of the lower flange on the annular ring 42. Projecting outwardly from the vertical flange portion of the U-shaped channel ring 42 is a series of lugs 45 whose purpose is to engage the links of a continuous chain 46. The lugs 45 are spaced angularly around the ring 42 so that possibly within the entire circle of the ring 42 there may be no more than a dozen lugs engaging the links of the chain. The chain 46 passes around a drive sprocket 47 carried on a vertical drive shaft 48. An electric motor 50 is provided outside of the drying chamber and drives the drive shaft 48 by means of a chain drive 51 and bevel gears 52 drivingly connected to the drive shaft 48. The exact type of drive, while not shown in detail, is sufiicient to indicate that the chain 46 is driven and consequently the entire floor 35 is rotated around the central axis of the dryer. Of course, the rate of rotation may be controlled either by the use of a suitable motor 50 or by the use of a suitable chain reduction drive. I

Contained within the drying chamber and between the inner wall 25 and outer wall 26 is a radial bank 55 of active infrared drying elements 56. The drying elements may be of any of a series of commercial types present- ;ly on the market and the exact type is not of particular importance relative to the present invention. However, it should be recognized that in all commercial types of infrared drying units, there is :a degree of heat given off in creating the infrared rays. To prevent loss of this heat from the upper drying chamber, heat-resistant rubber or plastic liners 57, 58 are provided on the walls 26, 27 and contact the upper and lower surfaces of the table or floor 35.

Material is fed to the drying chamber at a point adjacent the upper surface of the upper wall 25 by a hopper 60 extending upwardly rfrom the overhead wall 29, and feeding into -a triangular shaped upright tunnel consisting in part of a portion of the wall 25, upper and lower vertically adjustable walls 611, 64 and an arcuately shaped upright wall 62. The verticaly adjustable wall 61 has its lower edge closely adjacent to the floor 35. An adjusting rod 63 projects through the upper wall 29 and is connected to the wall 61. The rod 63 is manually adjustable to move the wall 61 toward and away from the floor '35. The arcuately shaped wall 62 projects slightly beyond the adjustable wall 61 and serves as an inner raking element of the raking device, later to be explained. As may be clearly evident from viewing the Lfigures, the height the material is to be discharged onto the floor panel 35 is controlled by the spacing between the lower edge of the adjustable wall 61 and the panel 35.

Radially outwardly of the upright material inlet, is a discharge opening, not shown, in the wall 26, a discharge funnel 70 being indicative of the general location of the opening. A raking device is provided within the chamber and above the floor 35. The raking device is composed in part of an overhead frame 71 with a series of depending arcuately shaped raking elements 72. Supporting structure 73, 74 is provided to support the inner end of the frame 7|1. The outermost raking elements will effect movement of the grain through the discharge opening and onto the discharge spout 70. As may be clearly apparent from viewing FIGURES 2 and 6, the table 35 will be driven in a clockwise direction and the material is discharged onto the table by opening the vertically adjustable section 61 of the inlet tunnel. The

grain passed onto the table will move around the drying chamber, under the infrared dryers 56, and under the innermost raking element which is the upright arcuate wall 62. The next complete movement and each succeeding movement around the drying chamber will move the grain to a position of contact with the next outer raking element 72. Therefore, the raking elements 72 tend to shift the material or grain on the floor panel 35 with each revolution of the table. Since it is preferable in operating drying under infrared drying elements to turn the material or grain over so that different sides of the material are exposed to the infrared rays, the raking element serves not only to shift the material from the inlet to the outlet portion of the drying chamber but also to turn or agitate the grain or material prior to the time it moves under the drying elements 56.

Directly in advance to the arcuately shaped raking elements 72 is a coiled rake 75 supported on an overhead bar 76 which in turn is carried by spring loaded supports 77, 78 supported on the radial overhead structure 711 of the raking device and to the outer wall 26 respectively. The purpose of the coiled rake 75 is to generally smooth the grain or material after it leaves the area of the raking elements 72. A horizontal beam 79 extends from the lower edge of the vertical support 73 to the wall 26 and serves to support the leading edge of the infrared bank 55.

A blower system is provided for the dryer and it consists in part of a blower, indicated at 80, feeding a forced draft into the lower portion of the drying chamber, an opening 81 (FIG. 1) being provided in the wall 28 to accommodate entry of air. An air discharge opening 82, (FIG. 3) is also provided to permit the air to leave the lower portion of the housing chamber.

Viewing FIG. 2, there is provided on the internal surface of the outer wall 26 a series of upright L-shaped channel members 83 having opposed and spaced apart upright flanges projecting inwardly to form upright slots extending substantially the entire height of the upper portion of the chamber. On the outer face of the wall 25 is provided outwardly projecting L-shaped channels 84 having upright spaced apart flanges defining upright slots. The upright slots formed by the channels 83 and the upright slots formed by the channels 84 are generally in radial alinement and are spaced angularly around the drying chamber. The slots are provided to receive upright divider panels, such as at 85, so as to direct the draft of air from the blower into the desired location of the chamber. A similar arrangement, while not shown in detail, is also provided in the lower portion of the drying chamber. Consequently it is possible by porperly placing the panels, such as at 85, in the various slots to cause the air to pass through the material and the material carrying floor several times as it moves around the drying chamber. In the present instance it is desired to receive the air in the lower portion of the drying chamber and prior to the time the air reaches the infrared drying elements 56. There is provided in the lower portion of the drying chamber an upright channel 86 adjacent the forward edge of the bank 55 of the infrared drying elements 56. Also directly beneath the upper panel 85 is a lower panel 87 which blocks the air in the lower portion of the drying chamber.

Therefore, the air passing from the blower through the opening 81 will move into the lower portion of the drying chamber. However, the upright panel 86 would prevent the air from remaining in that portion and it will be forced up through the material on the floor 35 into the upper chamber where it will pass over the bank 55 of drying elements 56 at which point it will pick up the latent heat created in forming the infrared rays. The upper panel will block the air from being retained in the upper portion and consequently the air will then be forced through the grain or material on the panel 35 after it passes under the infrared drying units 56. The air at this point has picked up a quantity of heat and consequently the grain is further dried through convection heating. The air after it has passed through the table 35 and material will contain moisture and will pass out the discharge opening 82.

The air intake 81 is in advance of the infrared bank 55 and beneath the panel 35. Consequently relatively cool air is passed through the material in advance of its passing under the infrared burners. This reduces the temperature of the material and makes it more susceptible to the infrared rays of the burners. Also, as the cool air passes through the material prior to passing over the infrared bank it will be warmed which will aid in the convection drying as it again moves through the material following its passing under the infrared bank.

It should be recognized that in some instances it will be desired to pass the air through the material on a rotating table several times prior toland after the grain moves under the infrared dryers. This will primarily be for the purpose of picking up the latent heat in material as it dries. This, of course, depends upon the overall condition of the material as well as the material itself. For this reason, it is possible that for different parts of the country and for the same type of material the selection and location of the panels may vary. Consequently it should be recognized that it is desired in the present invention to indicate the selectivity of the location of the panels which control the draft of air.

While only one form of the invention has been shown, it should be recognized that other forms and variations will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, while the present disclosure was shown and described in detail for purposes of concisely and completely illustrating the principles of the invention, it was not the intention to limit or narrow the invention beyond the broad concept set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for drying granular materials comprising: an annular drying chamber having inner and outer and spaced apart annular upright walls closed at their upper and lower ends; an intermediate laterally disposed panel between the upper and lower ends dividing the chamber into upper and lower portions, the panel being perforated to permit flow of air between the portions; means rotating the panel in the chamber; a material feeding device adjacent one of the side walls feeding material to the top surface of the panel; means defining a material discharge outlet in the outer wall; a stationary radial raking device above the panel with depending and radially spaced raking elements adapted to engage and agitate the material on the panel and effective to shift the material radially by increments from the one wall adjacent the feed-ing device to the discharge outlet in the other wall in response to rotation of the panel; active infrared drying elements in a radial disposition from the inner to the outer wall spacedly above the panel; a blower attached to the chamber effecting a draft of air in the chamber; and upright divider panels extending from the upper end of the chamber to a point adjacent the intermediate panel and from the lower end of the chamber to a point adjacent the intermediate panel, said panels effecting the movement of air through the intermediate panel. 1

2. A device for drying granular materials comprising: an annular drying chamber having inner and outer and spaced apart annular upright side walls closed at their upper and lower ends; an intermediate laterally disposed panel between the upper and lower ends dividing the chamber into upper and lower portions, the panel being perforated to permit flow of air between the portions; means rotating the panel in the chamber; a material feeding device adjacent one of the side walls feeding material to the top surface of the panel; means defining a material discharge outlet in the outer wall; radial raking means above the panel with depending and radially spaced raking elements adapted to engage and agitate the material on the panel and effective to shift the material by increments from the one wall adjacent the feeding device to the discharge outlet in the other wall in response to rotation of the panel; active infrared drying elements between the inner and outer walls; a blower attached to the chamber effecting a draft of air in the chamber; and upright divider panels extending from the upper end of the chamber to a point adjacent the intermediate panel and from the lower end of the chamber to a point adjacent the intermediate panel, said panels effecting the movement of air through the intermediate panel.

3. A device for drying granular materials comprising: an annular drying chamber having inner and outer and spaced apart annular upright walls; a laterally disposed material carrying panel in the chamber, the panel being perforated to permit flow of air between upper and lower portions of said chamber above and below respectively the panel; means rotating the panel in the chamber; a material feeding device adjacent the inner wall feeding material to the top surface of the panel; means defining a material discharge outlet in the outer wall; a radial raking means above the panel with depending and radially spaced raking elements adapted to engage and agitate the material on the panel and effective to shift the material a small increment in the radial direction from the inner wall to the discharge outlet in response to each rotation of the panel; and means attached to the chamber effecting a draft of drying air in the chamber and through the panel.

4. A drying device comprising: a drying chamber having upright spaced apart side walls and closed at its upper and lower ends; an intermediate laterally disposed material carrying floor between the upper and lower ends dividing the chamber into upper and lower portions, the floor being perforated to permit flow of air between the portions; a material feeding device adjacent one of said walls feeding material to the top surface of the panel; a-material discharge outlet in the other wall; a material shifting means extending across the floor effective to agitate the material and to shift the material in incremeiits from the one wall adjacent the feeding device to the discharge outlet in the other wall; active infrared drying elements above the floor; means effecting a draft of air in the chamber; and upright divider panels spaced along the floor extending from the upper end of the chamber to a point adjacent the floor and from the lower end of the chamber to a point adjacent the floor effecting the movement of air through the floor and to move the draft of air past the infrared elements to pick up the heat of convection issuing from the elements.

5. A drying device comprising: a drying chamber; a laterally disposed material carrying floor dividing the chamber into upper and lower portions, the floor being perforated to permit flow of air between the portions; active infrared drying elements above the floor; means effecting a draft of air in the chamber; and air directing panel means spaced along and above and below the floor effecting the movement of air through the floor and to move the draft of air past the infrared elements to pick up the heat issuing from the elements.

6. The invention defined in claim 5 in which the floor is continuously moving to pass the material under the infrared elements and whereby the movement of air will pass through the floor and the material thereon prior to and following the material passing under the infrared elements.

7. The invention defined in claim 5 in which the panel means is so disposed that air will pass from beneath to above the floor on one side in respect to the infrared elements and from above to beneath the floor on the opposite side as respects the infrared elements.

8. The invention defined in claim 5 in which the air is introduced in the chamber at a relatively cool temperature beneath the floor and is guided upwardly through the material by said panel means following exposure of the material to the infrared rays and then downwardly through the material to effect a convection type drying of the material.

9. A material dryer comprising: adrying chamber including a perforated floor; active infrared drying elements in the chamber above the floor; floor conveying means within the chamber advancing material adjacent the elements and in exposed relation to the rays; and

' means introducing cool air into the chamber and through the material and floor in advance of the drying elements for reducing the temperature thereof.

10. The invention defined in claim 9 further characterized by structure directing the air as it moves through the material to an area of the chamber following the 7 drying elements and from thence again through the material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1892 Rathmann 34-173 2/1899 Hysore 34187 FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner.

NORMAN YUDKOFF, WILLIAM F. ODEA,

Examiners.

W. C. EVERETT, C. R. REMKE, Assistant Examiners. 

3. A DEVICE FOR DRYING GRANULAR MATERIAL COMPRISING: AN ANNULAR DRYING CHAMBER HAVING INNER AND OUTER AND SPACED APART ANNULAR UPRIGHT WALLS;: A LATERALLY DISPOSED MATERIAL CARRYING PANEL IN THE CHAMBER, THE PANEL BEING PERFORATED TO PERMIT FLOW OF AIR BETWEEN UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID CHAMBER ABOVE AND BELOW RESPECTIVELY THE PANEL; MEANS ROTATING THE PANEL IN THE CHAMBER; A MATERIAL FEEDING DEVICE ADJACENT THE INNER WALL FEEDING MATERIAL TO THE TOP SURFACE OF THE PANEL; MEANS DEFINING A MATERIAL DISCHARGE OUTLET IN THE OUTER WALL; A RADIAL RAKING MEANS ABOVE THE PANEL WITH DEPENDING AND RADIALLY SPACED RAKING ELEMENTS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND AGITATE THE MATERIAL ON THE PANEL AND EFFECTIVE TO SHIFT THE MATERIAL A SMALL INCREMENT IN THE RADIAL DIRECTION FROM THE INNER WALL TO THE DISCHARGE OUTLET IN RESPONSE TO EACH ROTATION OF THE PANEL; AND MEANS ATTACHED TO THE CHAMBER EFFECTING A DRAFT OF DRYING AIR IN THE CHAMBER AND THROUGH THE PANEL. 